Never mind, I think I have my answer. Well, one down, how many of these lectures to go?

TAYA RAY

Nine. We’ve still got more than five centuries to cover.

SARAH

Fantastic. (beat) I don’t know why we have to start so far back – pretty much everything we’re supposed to cover in the first half of the course was obsolete before humanity even left Earth-that-was! It wouldn’t surprise me if Mr Spall added that part just to punish us even more.

TAYA RAY

Well, it looks pretty black outside. Let’s just get back to the dorm before it starts to—

Clap of thunder. Rain starts to fall.

TAYA RAY

—rain. Arrgh! The whole ‘verse is against us!

SARAH

It’s not raining frogs, is it? That would be about right.

Door opens and sounds of storm get louder.

SARAH

Let’s wait until it passes. No sense in sitting in that leaky van and getting rained all over when there’s no rush to get back.

Door closes and sounds of storm get quieter, but continue over the rest of the scene.

TAYA RAY

Yeah, it’s not like we have a social life to get back for or anything. I thought where we trained was pretty bleak, but it had nothing on this place.

SARAH

Have you ever been to a penal moon?

TAYA RAY

No. Have you?

SARAH

No, but I’m starting to wonder whether even a penal moon could be more depressing than this rock.

TAYA RAY

(A crazy idea is beginning to form…) Maybe this place is a prison and we just don’t know it!

SARAH

(Incredulously.) Taya Ray, what are you on?!

TAYA RAY

No, wait, hear me out. Do you want to leave here?

SARAH

Of course I do!

TAYA RAY

Are there any shuttles based here that are capable of breaking atmo?

SARAH

Well, no, but—

TAYA RAY

So, you want to leave, but you can’t. Sounds like a prison to me!

SARAH

Ok, fair point. A crazy point, but, yes, a fair one.

TAYA RAY

(Excitedly, getting even more carried away now.) Or maybe we died and this is some kind of special hell for terraformers who destroy their boss’s new shuttle!

SARAH

(Weary, with a sigh.) Come back to the reservation, Taya Ray. We’re still alive. We’re just stuck with a rotten assignment for now. At least we know things can’t get any worse though.

Musical cue to indicate passing of time.Location: In the classroom. Door opens as next line is spoken. The rains sounds are now very gentle.

SARAH

It’s just about stopped. We might as well go now.

Footsteps through puddles as Sarah and Taya Ray make their way over to the van. These sounds can overlap with the following lines.

TAYA RAY

Oh look, I’ve never noticed that river before!

SARAH

That’s not a river, Taya Ray. That’s the road back to the dorm.

TAYA RAY

Oh. Wow. I’m suddenly grateful for our leaky old van.

Van doors open and close. Location: In the van.

SARAH

Leaky is the word. There’s almost as much water in here as there is outside.

Sarah starts the van and they drive off.

TAYA RAY

Oh, look, we’ve got a wave from Mr Spall.

Beeps for start of wave.

MR SPALL

(Recorded voice. Perfunctorily.) Brunel, Parsec. After your class today, you need to pick up an important package at the junction on your way back to the dorm. Don’t be late.

SARAH

Well, we are late, naturally, but he doesn’t need to know that.

TAYA RAY

Why is there a package waiting for us in the middle of nowhere and why would it matter if we were late picking it up?

SARAH

Those are both fair questions, Taya Ray. Let’s just hope the package is waterproof.

TAYA RAY

Oh, I can see it already. That must be one big package. No, wait, it’s not a package, it’s a person. A very wet person.